They set inflation targets at around 2 leaving little room for maneuver when the water got choppy. And, most audaciously of all, the European Union introduced the euro as a common currency.

Our Atlantic Alliance has navigated through some choppy seas over the years, but we have always been able to resolve the toughest issues. That is because there is so much that unites us common values, shared histories, and an abiding faith in democracy.

In the US, polarized politics, gerrymandered Congressional districts, and a constitution that seems to check more than it balances, have obstructed reforms and left the country seemingly adrift in choppy waters. The middle class is being hollowed out, and failed overseas adventures have discouraged the once indispensable nation from bearing the burden of global leadership.